A tool producing a result of this kind is described e.g. in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,000. The tool has a pair of handles and four forming pins or plungers which are radially movable within a circular opening in the body into which the terminal (cable shoe) with the electrical conductor onto which it shall be crimped may be introduced. With the aid of a driving mechanism, which itself is driven by a movable handle in said pair of handles, the said forming pins or indenters are from the periphery of said opening from four sides pressed into the terminal, forming there four indentations separated one from the other by projecting portions defining the tips in the said cross-sectional shape of the terminal when crimped onto the conductor. There is no means in said opening (which is considerably larger than the cross-section of the uncrimped terminal) against which the expanding "tips" may abut.
It will be readily recognized that the said driving mechanism, regardless according to which principle it is constructed and works, necessarily is rather complex, as the swingning movement of one handle must be transformed to a translatorial movement of four pins attacking the terminal from four different, and partly right opposite directions, and at the same time must be rather robust, because the said pins have to deform the terminal and compress the conductor inserted therein. Moreover, the movable forming pins easily may become blocked by dirt etc. Further, "pockets" may be formed between the conductor and the ends of the tips where no counter-pressure is met.